Alia Bhatt discussed her film ‘Don’t Be Shy’ at a Prime Video event, highlighting its female gaze and new directorial voice. The showcase also celebrated the success of the ‘Culpables’ franchise and announced new adaptations from author Mercedes Ron.
Alia Bhatt on ‘Don’t Be Shy’ and its ‘Female Gaze’
Actor Alia Bhatt virtually marked her presence at Prime Video Presents: International Originals showcase, where she opened about film ‘Don’t Be Shy’. She was joined by Nikhil Madhok, director & head of Originals, Prime Video India. They talked about how the characters in the film are written through a distinct female gaze, the importance of fresh voices, and the thinking behind backing Don’t Be Shy, which is produced under Alia and her sister Shaheen’s banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions. “We just are naturally driven towards fabulous women and fabulous characters that are women, that happen to be women. But there are also a lot of cool male characters in the film that I’m also very excited about. An interesting new gaze for the two boys that are in the film,” Alia said.
The film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old girl who believes she has her life perfectly figured out until an unexpected turn sends everything spiraling out of her control. Opening about it, Alia further shared, “I said Sreeti (director), give it to us, but give it to us in your voice and then that’s what came out of Don’t Be Shy. I think even now that I see the film shaping up a certain way, it’s got the classic feeling of a holiday film, the classic feeling of a summer film, like it’s got a lot of those classic tones but it’s in a new voice. It’s got a new energy to it and that’s Sreeti’s, the director’s energy and her new sort of take on it and I feel that there’s something there which the audience is in for a surprise for.”
Prime Video’s International Success and Future Plans
‘Culpables’ Franchise a Global Hit
Meanwhile, at the event, Kelly Day, Vice President of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios International, revealed that the Spanish-language movies in the Culpables franchise (Culpa Mia, Culpa Tuya, Culpa Nuestra) have been watched by over 100 million viewers worldwide. The three films based on Mercedes Ron’s New York Times best-selling book trilogy were number one in more than 170 countries at launch, with over 90 per cent of viewers coming from outside Spain, read a press note. She commented, “Prime Video is where international storytelling is thriving. What we’re seeing now is that audiences all over the world are finding content from lots of other countries that they really enjoy watching. This is happening more frequently, and Prime Video is where that’s happening.”
Amazon MGM Studios to Adapt More Mercedes Ron Books
Demonstrating Prime Video’s commitment to investing in book IP and franchises, Nicole Clemens, Vice President of International Originals, Amazon MGM revealed Amazon MGM Studios is developing the latest book in Ron’s work titled 30 sunsets para enamorarte (from the Bali series), marking the first U.S. adaptation of the best-selling Spanish author’s work. The development deal is part of Prime Video’s collaboration dubbed the ‘House of Ron’, which includes 10 book-to-screen adaptations. (ANI)
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